Bunk

“Oneteam truly helps us keep people connected. It makes Amsterdam and Utrecht feel like one team instead of two separate entities"
– Amber Selby Brown, Brand Manager at Bunk

About Bunk

Bunk is a hybrid hospitality concept where a hostel, hotel, restaurant and cultural venue come together under one roof. Both locations, in Utrecht and Amsterdam, are housed in beautifully converted church buildings, giving the spaces a unique and contemporary character.

More than 130 employees bring the concept to life across all departments, from front office and F&B to housekeeping, reservations, maintenance and the support teams. With two venues operating seven days a week, Oneteam serves as the central place where colleagues share information, collaborate and stay connected.

The challenge

Before Bunk started using Oneteam, almost all internal communication ran through WhatsApp. At first this worked well enough, but over time the number of group chats kept multiplying. And because Bunk operates around the clock, notifications could come in at any moment.

“For many colleagues it became too much,” says Amber, Brand Manager. “People received updates when they were asleep, on a day off or even on holiday. It blurred the line between work and personal life.”

It was no surprise that more and more people began muting their group chats to get some peace. But that created a new issue. Important information became easy to overlook and not everyone had seen the same updates.

Claudia, HR officer, noticed the same thing. “You could tell that not everyone had the same information. One person was aware of something, someone else had completely missed it. It was never intentional, but it did make collaboration less smooth.”

Switching communication to email wasn’t a good alternative either. Not everyone checks email regularly, and setting up company email accounts for every role simply didn’t fit the way Bunk works.

Little by little, the core issue became clear: communication felt overwhelming, personal boundaries weren’t always protected and colleagues weren’t consistently receiving the updates they needed to do their job well.

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The solution

The search for a better solution started when Bunk was preparing to open its Amsterdam location. Opening a new venue is an intensive process, and the team noticed how unclear communication made stressful moments even heavier.

“There were situations where people were already under pressure and then received a lot of unnecessary messages on top of that,” says Amber. “That made us realise we needed a healthier way to communicate.”

At the same time, COVID hit and the team suddenly had more time to look at their HR processes and communication tools. It turned out to be the perfect moment to choose a platform that could support them in the long term.

“We explored a few options, but Oneteam offered everything we needed at that time,” Amber explains. “It was straightforward to use, didn’t cost an arm and a leg, and felt like a good match for how we work.”

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The approach

Bunk didn’t rush the rollout. Together with Oneteam’s Customer Success Manager, Amber and her colleagues tested the platform, thought through the structure and decided how different teams would use it.

“Setting up a new system is usually not the most fun thing to do,” says Amber. “But the support from Oneteam was very good. Everyone has been very friendly and helpful. Whenever we asked for ideas to keep people engaged, they came with suggestions that actually worked in practice.”

Once the platform was ready, Bunk made a clear decision. Internal communication would only take place in Oneteam. WhatsApp was no longer used for company updates and email was reserved for specific purposes, such as contracts.

To keep things consistent, new employees are introduced to Oneteam during onboarding. “In their first days, we walk them through all the tools we use,” Claudia says. “We explain that Oneteam is our only communication platform and ask them to check it at least once a day when they are working, so they don’t miss important updates.”

It worked. Adoption grew quickly and has stayed high. Today, around 95% of employees are using Oneteam. In Utrecht, 99% were active in the last month and in Amsterdam 98%.

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The results

Over time, Bunk found a way of using Oneteam that fits their culture. The biggest shift is that communication has become more structured and far less overwhelming. Amber notices it in the way colleagues stay up to date. “When we share announcements on the Timeline, people can catch up quickly. They don’t have to scroll through long conversations to find one important message. It also helps that we can see who has seen a post.”

The ability to target updates by location or group also saves confusion.“We can share posts just for Utrecht or just for Amsterdam,” Claudia says. “But also for everyone when something applies company wide. That structure makes it much easier for people to follow what’s relevant to them.”

Oneteam is now part of many moments in day-to-day operations:

• Introduction posts with a photo and short story help colleagues recognise new team members from day one.
• Monthly anniversary posts to highlight colleagues celebrating a work milestone.
• A monthly “Do you even know who I am?” interview, written by colleagues in both venues and featuring a different team member each time, which adds a personal touch and consistently receives strong engagement.
• Company news and practical updates like new menu launches, event reminders and policy changes, all shared on the Timeline.
• Invitations for feedback sessions where colleagues can easily sign up to share ideas and experiences.
• Department group chats for day to day communication such as deliveries, schedule changes and shift notes.
• Shortcuts that give quick access to the salary system, planning tools and other essential systems.

The Events feature has also become a favourite. “We use it for employee events such as the New Year’s party, staff drinks, and celebrations at the venues. People can sign up themselves and get reminders on their phone,” Claudia says. “We immediately see how many colleagues are coming. Without that, we would be reminding people all the time.”

Activity on the platform is consistently high. In Utrecht, employees sent 4,669 direct messages in a single month, and in Amsterdam 1,393. Amber keeps a close eye on these statistics. “We regularly check how many people log in and how often messages are being sent. It gives us a good sense of how involved teams are. Those numbers have stayed stable and high, which is great to see.”

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Conclusion

For Bunk, the greatest value of Oneteam comes down to one thing: real connection.

“Connection is one of our three main pillars,” Amber explains. “Oneteam really supports that. When you’ve already seen someone in an introduction post or a ‘Do you even know who I am?’ interview, it makes it so much easier to walk up to someone, even if you’ve never met in person.”

Claudia sees it every day too. “It really helps colleagues get to know each other in a more personal way. That makes working together easier and a lot more fun.”

And perhaps the biggest impact of all: “Oneteam makes Utrecht and Amsterdam feel less like two separate locations,” Amber says. “It truly feels like one team.”